News

125 years of electricity generation in Holzkirchen – geothermal as elementary part

125 years of electricity generation in Holzkirchen – geothermal as elementary part Holzkirchen geothermal power plant, Germany (source: Turboden)
Alexander Richter 15 Nov 2019

Celebrating 125 years of electricity, the new geothermal power and heat plant in Holzkirchen, Germany is an elementary part of the energy future of the community in targeting more renewable and clean energy sources for both electricity and heating supply.

The local utility of Holzkirchen near Munich/ Germany celebrates 125 years of electricity in the town. In order to maintain a trouble-free and wide power supply for the community in the future as well, the newly connected geothermal system will make a valuable contribution.

The beginning of electricity generation in the circle Holzkirchen goes back to the year 1894, when Oskar von Miller built the first power plant in the region in the Maxlmühle on the Mangfall (Valley). The electricity was generated with the help of hydropower and produced 100 percent green electricity. Large companies such as breweries or sawmills were primarily the customers, only a few household were connected to the grid. The power supply then though was not without its challenges, due to fluctuation-related failures in the network. Thanks to Europe-wide grid connection, this is different today, as the network makes it possible to compensate for fluctuations.

With the planned phasing out of nuclear and coal power will become more complex in the future, as many different small electricity providers from solar, wind and hydro power feed into the network and thus increasing the fluctuating electricity supply within the network.

The geothermal plant of Gemeinewerke Holzkirchen, which was put into operation in July 2019, can play a decisive role by generating electricity. With its help fluctuations in the network can be mitigated. In addition, geothermal energy contributes to the conversion of the electricity composition in the region to a supply from renewable sources. About 8,500 MWh of green electricity are already being supplied to the households and businesses by Gemeindewerke Holzkirchen.

An important task for the future is now the expansion of the district heating network connected to the geothermal plant. The target is to increasingly turn away from the conventional gas supply for heating supply and to rely on geothermal energy that is more climate-friendly.

Today, 15 November 2019, there will be an 125 year Anniversary Celebration on site of the geothermal plant, Alte Au 2. On Saturday, November 16, the geothermal plant will open from 3pm to 10pm.

Source: Merkur via our German partner website TiefeGeothermie.de